Instructors & Staff

Tory has always been interested in exercise and has taught numerous forms of movement since her teenage years, ranging from aerobics and weightlifting to downhill skiing. Tory is certified through Power Pilates and is proud of her training. She truly believes that the certification is only the foundation of her knowledge and therefore travels to NYC often for educational conferences. Many of the senior teachers at Power Pilates trained in the heart of the Pilates development. Tory is thrilled to bring that knowledge back to Blackbird and share it with the community. Tory is a registered nurse, Baptiste Certified Yoga Instructor, Power Pilates Certified Instructor, and BB Barre Instructor . Tory teaches privates, semi privates and group classes. Tory loves to cook, garden and ski. Tory’s belief in Yoga comes from following the system and the experience of seeing the system transform not only her body and mind but those of her community. Read Tory's full bio...

Zainab has been teaching yoga since 2007, and she currently teaches all levels of Vinyasa Flow in and around Ithaca, NY. Her classes feature several styles & traditions including Prana Vinyasa Flow, Ashtanga, & Viniyoga, and they bring attention to anatomy, alignment and movement. She enjoys the mindfulness, physical awareness and playful adventure one can find in yoga and strives to integrate these elements, along with humor and kindness, into her classes. Zainab has happily studied with and is eternally grateful to Prana Vinyasa Flow founder Shiva Rea and the Prana Flow tribe in addition to her foundational teachers Lisa Bennett Matkin and Charles Matkin. Zainab is an E-RYT 200 certified instructor and is 300 hr-certified in Prana Vinyasa Flow. She remains a student of life and has also published writings in media, including DoYouYoga.com, Fit Yoga, Women’s eNews, Zink, & Living MySore, a former online magazine.

Cassie completed the first and second levels of training with Baron Baptiste in 2009 and 2010 and her 200 hour Yoga Alliance certification in 2011 and has been teaching regularly since. She brings a healthy dose of humor to her classes and loves to tell stories. If you are looking to learn while having fun, she is the teacher for you. Cassie completed her BB Barre training in 2013 and loves the alignment focus of the exercise. In her spare time, she enjoys art, reading, and cooking.

The first time Sharon ever did a yoga class was about 18 years ago when she was training to become a fitness instructor and personal trainer. She was blown away by the 70 years young Viniyoga instructor whose flexibility was just awe inspiring. Sharon has since then dedicated herself to health and wellness, working out and training herself and others. 15 years later when Sharon injured herself lifting weights, she decided to do more yoga. She hobbled into a local yoga studio and it felt like coming home. Never one to half step, Sharon completed her teacher training to became a 200 hour RYT. She has been granted the opportunity to work with some fantastic teachers over the years who have taught her how wonderful a place of refuge the mat is.

Tess first sought out barre at Blackbird studio as a tool for keeping healthy amid the rigors of academia and as a complement to her studies in dance. She was excited to find that the exercise not only improved alignment and strength, but also increased a sense of balance and reduced stress. After years enjoying classes and the community at Blackbird, Tess was thrilled to be able to train under Tory Jenis to become a barre instructor. She loves teaching her students at Cornell University subjects of social science, and she was delighted to expand her teaching experiences to include those related to body awareness and fitness. Some of Tess' research and teaching emphases as a PhD candidate include the politics of environmental health and community development. The nature of Tess' work means that she often encounters individuals who struggle with a lack of physical and emotional welfare. Consequently, she has a strong interest in the ability of exercise, dance, and body-centered movement to encourage healing and positive growth. Tess is grateful for Tory and the other teachers at Blackbird bringing her in to the BB family. She feels fortunate to have Blackbird to help her continuously find new ways to connect with her own body and to connect with people who are also interested in greater well-being.

Hannah remembers her very first yoga class vividly. At a young and influential age, she was unaware then that she had just landed in a moment that from there on would be changing her life. She also stepped into the guidance of what would be one of her greatest teachers, Magdalena. With a language barrier, Hannah learned more fluency in language of the body. Leaving a lot unspoken made her new experience in body and mind even more mysterious and intriguing. After practicing for more than 10 years, she completed her 200hr at Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica for Power Vinyasa and Self Awakening Yoga. That feels like just the tip of the ice berg! Hannah’s approach to teaching (and most things) is Interdisciplinary. A class of hers may incorporate elements from Vinyasa, Self Awakening, Baptiste, Kundalini, Pilates, Ayurveda, and Yin. She looks forward to continuing her education in all of the above and more. Her goal is to offer an all levels class with guidance encouraging the freedom to tailor it to your own practice. Personally, she enjoys a fiery practice that makes her feel alive with a pumping heart and an exhilarating breathe. When she isn’t teaching, she’s rollin with Ruby her dog. Probably on her own mat! 😉 Next, running in the woods, in the garden, on her bike, or in the lake. She loves the Finger Lakes and lives much her life through celebration of all this region has to offer.

Kate first took yoga as a college class to fulfill a requirement for graduation. She loved it, but didn’t commit to a regular practice until several years later when she relocated to New York City and needed moving meditation to find calm in the midst of a hectic life. As a child and teenager, she played sports and danced, but never felt particularly athletic or physically graceful. Yoga changed that, which is why she believes in its power to help people feel more at home in their own bodies. Kate completed her 200-hour in 2015 and her classes are designed to be challenging to yoga veterans and accessible to newcomers. She focuses on the idea of yoga as a binding together –breath linked with movement, mind and body linked together in the present moment. Outside of the yoga studio, Kate is an English teacher and a poet whose work has appeared in American Chordata, Octopus, The Gettysburg Review, and other journals. She moved to Ithaca in October of 2016, and she is deeply grateful to the Blackbird community for making her feel at home here.

Known for her focus on alignment in a fun but vigorous way, Jenni has become one of Ithaca's revered teachers for spiritual seekers and fitness enthusiasts alike. Bringing a strong awareness of the Ashtanga fundamentals into her classes, Jenni teaches power styles of yoga to all levels, ages, and abilities in a balanced way. Her classes are based on the Ashtanga system, but with a strong sense of creativity that allows the practitioner to participate to his or her ability. With an emphasis on core engagement ("A strong core is a strong body is a strong mind"), her classes are designed to rinse the whole body from head to toe. Students will be guided to connect with their sense of strength and flexibility in a safe and practical manner, each time they step foot on the mat.

Kaylie is a 200-hour RYT certified at Kripalu Center. She is also a certified Aerial yoga teacher from Antigravity Lab. She had involved herself in various physical activities until she found yoga as her favorite form of body and mind practice. She focuses on alignments of asana, yogic breathing, and class flow. She also believes that deep relaxation at the end of a class is an essential part of yoga. She came to Ithaca as a graduate student, worked as a professor at Seoul for 7 years, and came back to Ithaca as a research associate in 2010. She has a long teaching career including teaching at Cornell and loves interacting with students in a positive way. She started her career as a writer in 2014. She dances every week at Tre Belle's Dance Studio, walks her dog every day, and practices yoga whenever she has time at Blackbird Studio.

Katie is a 200 RYT with the Yoga Alliance. In 2018 she trained with Candace Moore in Mountain City, Tennessee for three long, intensive weeks. She was exposed to instructors from all over the world who came from different yoga backgrounds such as Ashtanga and Iyengar. Because of this, she was introduced to many “yoga schools of thought” which allowed her a deeper understanding of yoga and how she could find her own way. During her 200 YTT she was exposed to vinyasa, prenatal yoga, yoga for the elderly, yoga for athletes, restorative yoga, and discovered her true passion — yin yoga. Promptly after her YTT graduation she sought out yin yoga continuing ed and completed an additional 20-Hour yin yoga course registered with the Yoga Alliance. Yin yoga is a slow moving, passive stretching class. It sounds easy but can be quite hard for those who struggle to slow down. Katie’s mission statement is to guide students through a meditative, nourishing, and relaxing class. She helps students intuitively find their edge with each pose and holds space for mindfulness and self reflection. When she’s not teaching yoga she’s probably making cappuccinos at the neighborhood coffee shop! Katie feels grateful for Tory and the rest of the Blackbird instructors for welcoming her into the “nest.” She is looking forward to sharing yin with the Blackbird community!

Tala began practicing yoga in 2009 as a way to stay active and continue to deepen her movement practice after she stopped dancing. In 2015 Tala completed her 200 hour teacher training at CorePower Yoga in Boston and has been teaching regularly ever since. In her classes Tala likes to focus on the essence of vinyasa — linking breath and movement — and creates innovative flow sequences that challenge both body and mind.